Friday Reads and Friday 56 With Book Beginnings 11th September

Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice. The idea is to grab a book, turn to page 56 (or 56% in an e-reader and find any sentence (no spoilers) and then post it. Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Ann: 

I am currently reading Timebound and Little Women. I am really enjoying both of them and hope to finish Timebound soon.

Book Beginnings:

"The heel of my white kidskin boot ripped a six-inch gash in the hem of my skirt as I whipped around the corner. Behind me, the footsteps halted for just an instant, and then continued, faster than before. I ducked into the next corridor, silently cursing the gods of 1890's fashion. Had I been in my usual shorts and T-shirt, I would have been out of this wretched hotel long ago. A solid kick to the head would have rendered the good doctor unconscious and the side of my neck wouldn't be screaming in agony."

I love this intro from Timebound it is so cool.

Friday 56:

"She started having nightmares and was moody. Well, she was always a bit moody, but ... more so... after." - Page 56

This is a really nice quote which I like from Timebound.

Clare:

I am currently about 10% through Lair of Dreams on my kindle, and so far it is wonderful. I love Libba Bray's humour and the writing makes it feel so realistic - especially the way the characters talk. Although it is quite long, I should finish it fairly quickly since I just want to sit down and read it! When I have finished Lair of Dreams I will be moving on to These Shallow Graves which I am beyond excited for although I only have a vague idea of what it's about, what I do know sounds amazing! I am also still reading The Wings of the Dove by Henry James, which I am 252 pages through at the moment and I am aiming to read around 50-60 pages this weekend. I am making good progress with this book although I am not always the biggest fan of James' writing style.

Book Beginnings:

"Every city is a ghost. New buildings rise upon the bones of the old so that each shiny steel beam, each tower of brick carries within it the memories of what has gone before, an architectural haunting. Sometimes you can catch a glimpse of these former incantations in the awkward angle of a street or a filigreed gate, an old oak door peeking out from a new facade, the plaque commemorating the spot that was once a battleground, which became a saloon and is now a park. Underground, it's no different."

So I cheated and chose more than a sentence (or two) but I just love this description so much because it makes the city feel real to me in a way I hadn't expected. I had genuinely forgotten just how much I loved the descriptions in Libba Bray's books and I am so glad to be back in this world.

Friday 56:

"Life might prove difficult - was evidently going to; but meanwhile they had each other, and that was everything. This was her reasoning, but meanwhile, for him, each other was what they didn't have, and it was just the point." - Page 56, The Wings of the Dove

This being a Henry James novel I'd be willing to bet nothing is going to go well for these characters.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) and on Twitter (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading